Pipe-wrench.



PA'TENTBD JULYM, 1903.

N, BOULANGER.

PIPE WRENCH.

Arruoulon runn- NOV. 17, 1802.

(messes UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

'PATENT CFFICE.

PIPE-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,617, dated July 14,1903. Application lled November 17, 1902. Serial No. 131.627. (Nomodel.)

To will whom, t may concern;

Be it known that I, NARCISSE BOULANGER, a subject of His Majesty theKing of Great Britain, residing at Black Lake, county of Megantic,Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pipe-lVrenches; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins to makeand use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in pipe-wrenches; and the object inview is to provide an improved construction which when used on pipes ofa certain kind may be allowed to automatically grip the pipe withincreasin pressure proportionately to the increase in the power applied,and, furthermore, to provide means which will limit or arrest the degreeof automatic adjustment and the pressure upon the pipe exerted by anelement of the improved wrench, whereby the wrench when used on pipes ofsoft metal will not crush, break, or otherwise injure the same.

W'ith these ends in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafterfullydescribed and claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a perspcctive view of a pipe-wrench embodying` my invention.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal seetional elevation of the same.

Like numerals of reference denote like parts in each figure of thedrawings.

5 designates the bar or shank of the improved wrench, the same beingprovided with a rigid jaw G at one end, said jaw having a serratedworking face 7. The other end of the shank or bar is equipped with ahandle 8, through which extends a rotary adjustingstem 9, having athumb-wheel l0 at its protrudin g end.

l1 designates a slide or clasp which embraces the shank or bar snuglyand is capable of a free movement or adjustment lengthwise thereon.lVith this slide is associated the adjustable jaw l2, the same having aserrated working face 13, which is in opposing relation to thecorresponding working face of the permanent jaw 6. Said movable jaw isprovided with a yoke 14 and with a pair of arms or plates l5, the latterarranged at an angle to the yoke and extending fora considerabledistance from the jaw. The yoke and the arms of said movable jaw arearranged to embrace the shank or bar 5 of the wrench, but this movablejaw has a pivotal connection at 16 with the slide 1l, and the yoke is sospaced with relation to the jaw l2 that the parts loosely embrace theshank or bar, whereby the slidable jaw l2 is also capable of a limitedrocking or swaying movement on the axis afforded by the pivot lo.

Any means known to the art may be employed for adj ustingthe slidablejaw; but in the drawings I have represented an operative means for thispurpose, the same consisting of a screw 17 and the elongated nut orsleeve 1S, said parts beig threaded and screwed together, as moreclearly represented by Fig. 2. The screw is provided with a head 19,which is iitted within the slide ll and which has the pivot-pin 16 forthe movable jawconnected therewith, said headed end of the screw beingsecured to the slide by the pin, bolt, or screw 20. The sleeve or nutlSis connected with or secured fast to a headed end 9a ot' theoperating-stem 9, and said sleeve 1S may be grasped by the operatorsfingers, so as tobe turned thereby in order to adjust this screw and theslidable jaw, or said sleeve 18 may be rotated by manipulating thethumb-wheel l0, the motion'of which is communicated by the stem 9 tosaid sleeve.

The slide ll is provided with a tongue 22, arranged to extend toward theinclined arms of the slidable jaw, and to this tongue is secured at 23 aleaf-spring 24, said spring being 'movable with the slide and the jaw 12and the free end of the spring being seated against the jaw in order tornormally force said jaw away from the shank and draw the yoke 14 intoengagement with the shank, as clearly shown by Fig. 2.

The means for limiting the oscillating or rocking movement of theslidable jaw on the pivot 1G or for locking said jaw in its adjustedposition consists of the clampingscrews 25 2G, the former of which ismounted in the yoke ll so as to impinge the rear side of the shank orbar 5, while the other screw 26 is mounted in a solid portion of the jaw12, within thel IOO serrated face 13 thereof', and either of thesescrews may be adjusted so as to engage with the shank or bar in order tolimit the rocking movement of the jaw or to prevent the jaw from havingany rocking movement on the pin 16, according to the nature of the pipeor work to which the wrench is applied.

In using the wrench On hard metal pipes which are not likely to befractured by the pressure exerted by the wrench the sliding jaw is adjusted by manipulation of the sleeve until it will cooperate with thepermanent jaw in engaging with the work, and the screws 25 26 aremanipulated so as to withdraw them from engagement with the bar, thuspermitting the pivoted jaw to be `free to have the oscillating orrocking adjustment. Pressure is applied to the wrench to turn the latterin the direction indicated by the arrow m in Fig. 2, and this movementthrusts the jaw 12 inwardly toward the shank and against the tension ofthe spring 24, whereby the jaw 12 cooperates with the permanent jaw ingripping the work under increasing pressure, and the increase ofpressure exerted by the implement secures a tighter gripping of the workbetween the jaws. This operation is very advantageous in manipulatingwork of the class described; but on using the wrench on softmetal pipesthe latter is liable to be crushed Or broken by the undue application ofpressure owing to the automatic movement of the jaw 12. To Overcome thisObjection the wrench is used by adjusting the jaw 12 lengthwise on theshank until the work is properly engaged, and then the set-screws 25 26,or either of them, may be manipulated in order to lock the jaw 12against the oscillatin g movement on the pivot 16.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the formand proportion of some of the parts while their essential features areretained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do notdesire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown,reserving the right to vary therefrom.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In apipe-wrench,in combination,a shank comprising a fixed jaw,a slidemovablymounted upon said shank, a second jaw pivotally attached to saidslide and cooperating with said first jaw, said second jaw comprising ayoke surrounding said shank, a spring attached to said slide andconstraining said sec- -ond jaw, and ad justing-screws carried by saidsecond jaw the tips whereof lie respectively adjacent to the oppositesides of said shank, substantially as described.

2. In a pipe-wrench,in combination, a shank comprising a ixed jaw, aslide mounted upon said shank, means for advancing said slide along saidshank, a movable jaw pivotally attached to said slide, and cooperatingwith said fixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a yoke surro'undin saidshank, a leaf-spring carried by said slide, the tip whereof restsagainst the inner side of said movable jaw, an adjustingscrew mounted insaid movable jaw beyond the tip of said spring, and a secondadjustingscrew mounted in said yoke, the tips of said adjusting-screwsrespectively lying adjacent the opposite sides of said shank,substantially as described.

3. In a pipe-wrencl1,in combination,a shank comprising a fixed j aw, aslide movably mounted upon said shank, a movable jaw pivotally mountedupon said slide and having a face cooperating with said xed jaw, and apair of adj Listing-screws carried by said movable jaw, the tips whereofrespectively lie adjacent to the opposite sides of said shank, wherebythe angular position of said movable jaw maybe adjusted with respect tosaid slide, substantially as described.

4. In a pipe-wrench,in combination,a shank comprising a fixed jaw, aslide carried upon said shank, means Jfor adjusting the samelongitudinally upon the said shank, a second jaw pivotally carried bysaid slide and having a face cooperating with said fixed jaw, aleafspring carried by said slide and constraining said movable jawtoward an extreme position, and a pair of adjusting-screws carried bysaid movable jaw, the extremities whereof lie ad jacent respectively tothe opposite sides of said shank, whereby the angular position of saidface may be adjusted into different iixed p0- sitions, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

NARCISSE BOULANGER.

Vitnesses:

NORBERT COUTURE, GEORGES LAGNEUX.

